The First Turning Point
by Settees-under-siege
Summary: Cora's first birthday at Downton Abbey is coming up and Robert is trying to figure out what to do. What starts out as a stressful situation blossoms into something more.


Robert sat at his desk in the library with his hands clasped firmly together. His palms had been growing more sweaty over the last few minutes. In one weeks' time it would be his new wife's birthday but he didn't have the faintest idea where to begin. He wanted her first birthday at Downton as his new wife to be extra special and while he was sure that his sentiments were in the right place there were some gaping holes in his knowledge of her that prevented him from getting past it being simply that, sentiments.

Abruptly, Robert stood up, resolved to find her and spend some quality time with her and hopefully discover more about her. At least it was a starting point and it was much better than sitting at his desk, staring outside and fretting about how little he knew her. Robert headed into the hall and up the stairs, bound for her sitting room. He was quite confident she would be in there at this time of the morning. Knocking softly his heart suddenly started racing when he realized he had no idea what to say to her or what they could do. He stood outside the door, his anxiety increasing with every second but there was no answer. Cautiously, Robert knocked again and waited. Still no answer. He reached for the doorknob and opened the door to find the room deserted. A part of him felt relieved as he had been ill prepared but the bigger portion of him was more preoccupied with where she could have possibly gone to. He shut the door and made his way back downstairs.

Carson was just on his way down to the servant's hall after going through his preparations for luncheon when Robert's call stopped him. "Have you seen Cora anywhere Carson?" Robert asked hopefully.

"I believe she is out walking the grounds. She always does that at this time of the morning if it is a nice day outside My Lord." Robert nodded and thanked him as the butler continued to the concealed servant's door. So Cora liked to go for walks and frequently it seemed. Further proof of how little he knew about her. He started to feel a bit guilty now because if he had made more of an effort in these first two months after their marriage then he would likely not be in this predicament now.

Robert had not asked how long Cora liked to stay out and rather than ring the bell so he could get changed for a walk he instead made straight for the front door and stopped just outside, scanning the grounds. Cora was nowhere to be seen so he started to walk around the side of the house where the gardens were. Surely she would be there. Upon searching the gardens however, Robert was once again disappointed and now he was completely baffled. He briefly considered the possibility that she was already back inside and that he had simply missed her but quickly dismissed the idea. The problem was he had no clue as to where to go next. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack and Robert chastised himself because this was his wife and it shouldn't be hard to find her. Dejected, he started strolling across the lawn in no particular direction.

There were some old oak trees on the other side of the lawn and he started walking through them, lost in thought. A gentle hand on his shoulder caused him to jump right out of his skin and he staggered around to find Cora grinning like a Cheshire cat. He had not even heard her coming. "Oh my, did I just give you a fright?" she laughed. Robert adjusted his jacket which had bunched up when he jumped and gave her a coy look. "Where are you heading to?" Cora inquired.

Robert suddenly remembered why he was there and shifted nervously. "Actually I was searching for you." Cora was surprised.

"Me? Is something amiss back at the house?" she asked.

"No nothing like that. I…I well…" he stuttered as his courage fled. Cora watched him avidly, unsure of why her husband was so tongue tied. "I just wanted to spend some time with you, that's all," he said sheepishly. Cora's face transformed into a glow like the rising sun.

"That is very sweet of you darling," she said appreciatively. "I see you are not decked out for a walk but would you like to join me anyway?"

"I would love to," he responded and offered her his arm. "So where do you like to go on these walks?" he said casually as they started meandering through the trees.

"Well since I came here I have been trying to go to a different part of the grounds each time though I admit I have gotten lost more than once," she giggled. Robert's jaw dropped.

"But you were always there at luncheon…"

"I always was able to find my way out of it again. Downton is an excellent landmark and luckily my sense of direction is reasonable anyway." Cora looked up at him as they continued at a leisurely pace. He glanced down at her, clearly impressed. "Anyway, it is such a beautiful estate that I do not mind too much if I get lost for a little while," she said conversationally.

"Well I mind! If anything bad happened I could never forgive myself."

"And what do you think could happen in a place like this?" she scoffed.

"I don't know. A change in the weather could bring a tree down, you could catch a chill, all sorts of things could happen."

"Good grief, stop being silly. It won't happen," Cora said confidently.

"I am only saying it because I care," Robert returned quietly and Cora suddenly stopped walking causing him to turn and face her. He really was serious. She gave him a small smile. "Would you mind if I accompanied you on your walks from now on?" he murmured. "Aside from not wanting any harm to come to you I do enjoy your company." Cora took a step towards him and took his hands in hers.

"I would like that very much," she owned. Robert closed the distance between them as temptation got the better of him. He gently untangled his hands and cupped her face on one side, the other hand slipped around her back and he leaned in to kiss her. She felt as though she had sprouted wings as her happiness soared and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he pulled back he thought he heard her sigh contentedly. Encouraged he pressed his lips to hers again and this time she met him halfway. He could not recall a moment more perfect than this since he married her as they broke apart again. Cora's cheeks had flushed and she looked stunning. "My God Cora you are so beautiful."

"Thank you," she responded almost shyly, her eyes full of love for him.

"Well, shall we keep going then?"

"Certainly."

They now walked very close together as they wondered over fields and through glades and along a small creek, an easy air between them. Robert paid close attention to everything she said and he soon knew what he wanted to do for her birthday but moreover, he was intrigued by her laidback nature and awareness of her surroundings. She really was intelligent which he found incredibly alluring. It was never his intention to marry a simpering, plain and unaccomplished woman and he had been confident that Cora wasn't any of these but he was now starting to see she was so much more. She told him of her childhood in Newport, her many happy hours frolicking at the beach, the society of New York and of her fathers' success. Robert had a strong suspicion that he had heavily influenced her development as a woman though her strong Americanisms definitely came from Martha. He had found Martha to be too over the top for his liking and somewhat outspoken and while Cora had her moments she was also taking a lot of trouble to learn the ways of her new home and life which he had noticed.

As they came to the top of a ridge Robert suggested that they turn around or they would miss luncheon completely and they had already been walking for an hour. The view down to Downton Abbey was majestic and they admired it for a couple of minutes before starting back. They walked along in silence for a while when Cora heard Robert clear his throat. "Cora, did your mother ever take you to Brighton when you were first here?" Cora thought it a rather odd question but told him that she had never been. "Would you like to go down and see the town and surrounding area?" Robert probed as nerves began to eat at his stomach.

"That would be lovely. Do you mean a vacation?" she eyed him curiously as the sun shone onto their backs.

"Yes, for your birthday," Robert explained. "The beaches along that stretch of coast I hear are very good and I have not been either. It would be a chance to get away from the Abbey, do something different and really get to know each other better. We have already had some false starts and they are so taxing on one's conscience. We can do anything you want to do and stay for a couple of weeks." Robert studied Cora's reaction out the corner of his eye.

"I agree that we have been stalling these past weeks but I don't count today among them. Today is different somehow, a chance to start over and I would love to go on this journey with you. Thank you for coming to find me today Robert, I am so glad you did and I now have more hope for our future. My parents never took me on vacation for my birthday and I am excited." She threw back her head and sucked in a big gulp of air as the breeze caressed her hair. Robert watched her happily. For the first time, they were truly in synch with one another.

"Then it is settled between us, I will start making the arrangements this afternoon," Robert confirmed. Arm in arm, they walked back to Downton together, newlyweds who had finally found some common ground.

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**A/N For GranthamGal :)**


End file.
